What should I do if I hear remarks implying self-harm?

Crisis Response Guide for HR, Health Managers, and Managers

If you hear remarks hinting at self-harm, the first thing HR representatives and managers should do is immediately verify safety, not suggest counseling. If an employee says things like, "I want to die," "I want to disappear," or "I can't bear it anymore," do not dismiss these as jokes or temporary emotions; instead, you must verify whether they are currently alone, in a safe place, and in a situation where immediate external help is needed. This article summarizes the response procedures, practical checklists, and EAP linkage criteria that HR must verify when encountering remarks hinting at self-harm.

The most important point in this article

Before recommending counseling
We need to check the current safety status.

The role of HR is not to diagnose suicide risk, but
It is safety verification and connection to appropriate support resources.

If you hear remarks suggesting self-harm, the first thing you must do is check if they are currently safe.

It can be dangerous if HR or managers respond by judging or downplaying the situation, asking questions like, "Do you really intend to do that?", "It will be okay," or saying, "Everyone is having a hard time." Rather than assuming the employee's intentions, you must verify whether they are currently alone, reachable, in a safe location, and if there is any immediate suspicion of danger.

EAP is an important support channel in crisis situations, but it does not replace emergency rescue or emergency response. It is appropriate to design the system to lead to EAP counseling, consultations with health managers, job adjustments, return-to-work support, and manager coaching once the risk has been immediately reduced.

If the following statements or behaviors are confirmed, the procedure for responding to remarks suggesting self-harm must be applied.

In this case, HR's role is not to diagnose the employee's condition. HR must record verified statements and behaviors as observed facts and coordinate to ensure safety is verified and appropriate resources are connected.

HR personnel who encounter remarks implying self-harm should respond in the following order.

1. Check if you are currently available to contact.

2. Check if you are alone right now.

3. Check if you are currently in a safe place.

4. Immediately check if there is a suspected risk.

5. Share with managers, health managers, and in-house crisis response personnel to the extent necessary.

6. If an emergency risk is suspected, we consider connecting to external crisis resources such as 112, 119, and the suicide prevention hotline 109.

7. Once safety is ensured, we will provide guidance on EAP counseling, consultations with the health manager, work adjustments, and return-to-work support.

8. All records are based on observed facts rather than diagnoses.

Managers should focus on safety verification and acting as a connector, rather than trying to persuade members or provide psychological counseling on their behalf.

In a crisis, even well-intentioned words can be perceived as pressure by team members. Managers should focus on ensuring safety and connecting, rather than evaluating, interrogating, comforting, or persuading.

The most common mistake is dismissing remarks hinting at self-harm as a “joke,” “passive emotion,” or “attention-seeking.” It is important to activate safety verification and connection procedures first, rather than having HR determine the actual risk on its own.

The second mistake is ending the response after merely guiding the individual to EAP counseling. While EAP is an important support channel, it cannot replace emergency rescue or emergency response in situations where immediate danger is suspected. It is appropriate to connect the individual to EAP counseling only after safety has been ensured.

The third mistake is mixing counseling content with company records. In principle, the confidentiality of EAP counseling content is critical, and it must be managed separately from company personnel records or evaluation data. If counseling confidentiality is compromised, employees may be reluctant to use counseling when they genuinely need help.

EAP is not an agency that handles the entire situation immediately after hearing self-harm-hinting remarks. However, once safety is ensured, it can be utilized for the following support:

The key is not to view the EAP as a standalone solution, but to operate it in a way that connects external crisis resources, internal reporting systems, the role of health managers, and the return-to-work support system.

Before inquiring about EAP implementation or crisis response systems, organizing the following information will allow the consultation to proceed more specifically.

Q1. What should you do first if an employee makes remarks implying self-harm?

Q2. Can I connect directly to EAP counseling?

Q3. What should managers avoid saying?

Q4. Are EAP counseling details shared with the company?

Q5. What should I check after returning?

Organizations that encounter remarks hinting at self-harm should not stop their response at merely providing counseling guidance. They must organize the process into a single flow that includes safety checks, connecting to emergency resources, EAP counseling, return-to-work support, and manager training.

If you need to design response standards for self-harm-hinting remarks, manager response phrases, EAP counseling coordination, and a return-to-work support system together at the organizational level Nudge EAP Implementation Consultation Review the operating methods that suit our organization through this.

If there is an urgent risk of self-harm or harm to others, the priority is to connect immediately to an organization that can provide assistance, such as 112, 119, or the suicide prevention hotline 109.

• Ministry of Health and Welfare Announces Integrated Operation of Suicide Prevention Hotline 109
• Ministry of Health and Welfare Announces Increase in Professional Counseling Staff for Suicide Prevention Hotline 109
• Korea Life Respect and Hope Foundation, Warning Signs and How to Help
• World Health Organization, Preventing suicide at work
• Health and Safety Executive, Suicide prevention
• National Law Information Center, Personal Information Protection Act